Ways Parents Can Help Infant Development

Video Transcript

"Hi, I am Dr. David Hill, and today we are going to talk about ways a parent can help his or her infant develop. Now, a lot of things are happening in the first year of life developmentally but it helps to break them down in broad categories. We think of them in terms of gross motor, big movements, fine motor, smaller movements, communication, obvious, and interpersonal and problem solving skills. Starting with gross motor movement. Well, when your baby is born, they are not really able to do very much. So, you want to be especially careful about cradling and supporting the babies head. That is a lot of weight for some very small muscles to carry. So, you want to move that head very carefully. By two months of age, however, the baby is getting pretty good. By manipulating his or her own head and just working on the muscles of the trunk. So, you want to give your baby some tummy time. Now babies have to sleep on their backs or they are more at risk of having sudden infant death syndrome. So they can't sleep on their tummies, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't play with them on their tummies. Your baby may cry during tummy time, he or she may not like it, but still give them a chance. Because that is a chance for them to develop those important muscles along the back. The most important thing you can do for gross movement development, between six and twelve months of age, is don't buy your baby a walker. Walkers are not only very hazardous, but they actually prevent babies from building up the muscles that they need to learn to walk. They do that by, first of all, pulling up on furniture, and then cruising and then letting go. Don't interfere with that by getting in the way with a walker. In terms of fine motor development, again, the baby's hands are just fists for the first couple of months of life, but by six to eight weeks, they are able to grasp a rattle. So you might give them something big that they can grab a hold off, and shove in their mouths safely. By four months of age, babies are reaching out and grabbing what they want. So, have toys in close proximity. Things that are soft or textured and easy to grab a hold off for the baby, and you'll see him playing with those at times especially if they make some noise or light up. Fine motor development is improving by six to twelve months and you'll notice that your baby is able to pick up very smaller items. Help them by keeping them for choking. Look around the house for things like batteries, loose grapes, anything that is small enough to fit in the mouth and can make them choke. And, provide textured items like silkies and blankets and small things that they can get hold off without hurting themselves. Here is where Cheerios and teething biscuits and Puffs can come in real handy. In terms of communication, your baby starts communicating with you by crying. But, you are communicating with your baby through your voice, your touch, even your smell. And, they are noticing. By two months of age you are smiling back and forth with your baby and you are also probably exaggerating your words, slowing down your speech. And talking in a high pitch voice, baby's watching. People in all cultures talk to babies this way because that's how they learn to communicate. You are going to continue that in four months when they learn to laugh at you, and in six months when they are starting to babble. Soon they are going to be waving bye bye at nine months. And, understanding the word "no". So, don't be afraid to distinguish between behaviors that are acceptable and unacceptable behaviors by using the word "no". Also, even though the baby is not talking very much between nine and twelve months of age, they are starting to understand a lot of what you have to say. So, don't cut the words, talk to your baby. This is a sock, we are going to put it on your foot, and now we are going to put on your shoe. Tell the baby everything that you are doing and you are going to have quite a talker before you know it. In terms of problem solving and interpersonal development, at two months again, there hasn't been a whole lot of progress, but there has been a tremendous amount of emotional progress going on just based on how you have been relating to the baby, touching her, holding her, pick her up as much as you want. Don't let anybody tell you not to. By four to six months you giving the baby challenges, things to try and grab, things to manipulate and bang together and hold on to. Between nine and twelve months of age, they are able to manipulate their environment and by giving them things to stack, things to pull, things to push, developmental toys, you are going to enable them to teach themselves a lot of problem solving skills. To review, your baby is doing a tremendous amount of development in the first year of life, and everything that you do as a parent is helping them. Talk to them, play with them, do what feels right because we are geared to help our babies develop. Provide them with plenty of exciting safe developmentally appropriate toys and don't be afraid ever to play with or pick up your baby, that's how they learn. Discussing, helping your baby's development, I am Dr. David Hill."